Department of Chemistry, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, MS 015, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453, USA.
Langmuir. 2011 Dec 6;27(23):14425-31. doi: 10.1021/la2033862. Epub 2011 Nov 2.
Learning from the stabilization of protein structures, we combine aromatic-aromatic and electrostatic interactions to tailor the elasticity of supramolecular hydrogels. Specifically, calcium ions allow interfiber cross-links among the supramolecular nanofibers of small peptides that consist of multiple carboxylic acid and aromatic groups. A small change in the concentration of calcium increases the elasticity of hydrogels over several orders of magnitude. This simple approach not only demonstrates a biomimetic design of materials but also confirms that the combination of multiple aromatic-aromatic interactions and multiple calcium salt bridges is a feasible way to control the mechanical properties of soft nanomaterials.
受蛋白质结构稳定化的启发，我们结合芳环-芳环和静电相互作用来调整超分子水凝胶的弹性。具体来说，钙离子允许由多个羧酸和芳基组成的小肽的超分子纳米纤维之间形成纤维间交联。钙离子浓度的微小变化可使水凝胶的弹性提高几个数量级。这种简单的方法不仅展示了材料的仿生设计，还证实了多种芳环-芳环相互作用和多种钙盐桥的组合是控制软纳米材料力学性能的一种可行方法。
